Hundreds Die in Earthquake at Time of Crisis for Turkey

Residents loot tents from Turkish Red Crescent truck one day after a powerful earthquake in Ercis, province of Van, in eastern Turkey, on October 24, 2011.
(MUSTAFA OZER/AFP/Getty Images/Getty)

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Sunday, killing at least 250 people and leaving thousands homeless. The quake decimated the city of Van, near Turkey's border with Iran. Rescue workers continue to search for survivors. Over a thousand people have been injured. This crisis comes coupled with a Turkish military operation in Iraq. Turkish troops have been pursuing Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq since militants of the Kurdish Workers Party, or PKK, killed 24 Kurdish soldiers last week. The PKK is classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

David O'Byrne, correspondent for the BBC, reports on the latest developments from Istanbul.